Samurai Jack: Twist of Time
by half-wit ed-boy
Summary: In an attempt to stop Aku's evil plot, Samurai Jack is killed and given another chance to defeat Aku. But will new allies in a new future be enough to help him on his quest? HUGE CROSSOVER!
1. I

I: Jack's Failure

I: Jack's Failure

_Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, the shape-shifting Master of Darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil! But a foolish Samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time and flung him into the future, where my evil is law! Now the fool seeks to return to the past, and undo the future that is Aku!_

This future was a dangerous place. Cities were filled with criminals and other scum from across the galaxy, ill-tempered creatures with fancy futuristic cannons and blades of every shape and size roamed the streets just waiting for someone to look at them the wrong way, and bounty hunters searching for men wanted by the evil demon known as Aku, who, at this time, ruled over the whole universe.

With his iron fists of cruelty and oppression, he enslaved Earth and every planet above its star-lit skies, taking galaxies one by one as if playing a twisted game of chess. Aku was a terrible ruler who forced most of his subjects into forced labor, making them build monuments in his honor, mine precious stones to power his nature-destroying factories, and even forcing them to work for him personally in the Pit of Hate, where the shape-shifting master of darkness took residence and ruled over literally everything. In the pit, his slaves performed demeaning tasks and endured torment from Aku and his minions.

However, Aku's tyranny often escaped remote places that he saw as "undesirable pieces of dirt". These lands are often destroyed by Aku's pollution or ignored entirely by the evil emperor, thus leaving hidden sanctuaries free from Aku's clutches.

One such man happened to be in one of these lands one day. He wore unusual clothes for that time period; a white and grey gi, wooden sandals, and to hide his identity, and an oriental straw sunhat. Tied to his waist was a katana enclosed in a black sheath with a black and gold handle. He walked along the rocky path, his sandals making muffled CLOP, CLOP, CLOP sounds as he slowly made his way through the heavily wooded forest.

Finally, the man came to a building called "The Green Pagoda". The tower had between fifteen and twenty stories, each story having a green, upward-curving roof. The building's name flashed in neon above the door. As he stepped towards the door, he noticed an old wanted poster with a picture of a man with Japanese facial features, his hair tied back, and a gi similar to the one this man wore. Under the picture read, "Wanted by Aku: 'Samurai Jack'."

"Hmm," the traveler said as he inspected the poster. He then pushed back the curtain covering the entrance and walked inside.

The inside looked like a traditional Japanese tea house, only larger. Golden Chinese dragons, lions, and warriors decorated the walls and guarded the doorway, tables were barely off the ground and surrounded by mats for customers to sit on instead of chairs, and the room was filled with mixed company; humans, alien creatures, and robots sat at the tables and were conversing with each other and towards the back, two muscular guards protected a door with the words: PRIVATE ENTRY KEEP OUT engraved above the frame. Wheeling around the room were robotic geishas painted in bright floral colors.

In case you haven't figured it out yet, (which you should've by now) this man is none other than the man in the poster: the famed Samurai Jack, one of the few men in the universe considered brave enough and foolish enough to challenge the authority of Aku. The samurai was sent here to this bleak future thousands of years ago, during his first duel with Aku. Since then, Aku has hired bounty hunter after bounty hunter to try and defeat the ancient warrior and put a price on Jack's head higher than the price of any man before him, but so far, none have been able to stand against the samurai.

Seeing that no one had recognized him from the poster, (much less notice his presence) Jack sat down at a corner table, his back to the corner to keep an eye out for potential danger. One of the geisha-bots looked his way and glided over to the silent warrior.

"Good afternoon, sir," she, or it, said in a feminine, robotic tone. "Can I take your order?"

"Yes, please," Jack answered. "I would like only a cup of hot water."

The geisha-bot's hand flattened and became a serving tray. Then, her stomach opened up, revealing a glass of steaming water. A robotic arm gently placed the cup on her hand and she placed it neatly on the table in front of the samurai.

"Here you go, sir!" She said. "If you need anything, just press the button on the wall to your right and I or another unit will report here to serve you." The samurai just waved his hand and the geisha-bot bowed deeply and rolled away.

Jack then reached into the sleeve of his gi and pulled out a small teaspoon and a small bag of tea leaves given to him by a grateful merchant he met during his travels. He dropped the bag into the hot cup of water and began stirring the water. Whenever it turned a clear green, Jack placed the spoon on the table and began to put the cup to his lips. He was just about to enjoy his tea when a large figure busted through the entrance, sending debris flying at the samurai, knocking his tea cup to the floor. Slightly irritated, Jack stood up and turned around.

The figure was extremely tall and had arms ten times bigger than Jack's entire body. He had a red moustache and what remained of his hair was tied in a ponytail. He wore a white shirt and a plaid kilt. In place of his right leg was a loaded machine gun and he carried a huge shield and sword on his back. He turned towards the samurai's direction.

"Jack," he said in a Scottish accent. "There's no time to explain! We need to get going now, Laddie!"

Instantly Jack recognized this man from his earlier travels. It was a man he knew only as the "Scotsman".

"Well, are ye just gonna stand there gawking at me like a seasick goat or are ye comin' with me?" the Scotsman asked.

"Well, I…" Suddenly, the Scotsman lifted Jack like a helpless doll, put him under his huge arm, and ran back out the door.

"We don't have time to stand around and make small talk, Jack! Aku is plannin' something that could put your mission in great jeopardy!"

"What is he planning?" Jack asked, trying to ignore the Scotsman's pungent body odor.

"He's created a portal to the past and is plannin' on usin' it to travel back to the time of your childhood and kill you so you won't be a threat to him now!" Jack's eyes widened in alarm at this news. He knew that he had to stop Aku now or the consequences would be dire!

"But, I do not know where Aku dwells."

"Aye, but I do, Laddie," the Scotsman answered. "I was battling one of Aku's cronies and before I did away with him, I made him tell me a few things so I could help you out. At first I didn't believe him about the portal until I traveled to the Pit of Hate and saw for meself! I knew that even though I'm almost as tough as me Granddad, I couldn't take Aku on alone, so I went looking for you!"

"Then we must not waste time! We must find Aku and stop him before it's too late!"

The Scotsman carried the samurai all the way through the forest, through a barren wasteland, and finally he entered a dark and desolate valley. Giant stone statues of a tree-like figure with horns and flaming eyes lined the pathway leading to a giant tower made to resemble a burning inferno. Jack's eyes continued to stare at the domain of evil as the Scotsman gently put his friend down.

"From here we must walk," the Scotsman explained. "If we go barging in there, Aku will surround us with more guards and bounty hunters than we've both faced combined!" Jack nodded in agreement and the two began their walk towards the tower.

During the long, suspenseful walk, the two warriors spoke not a word, both of them knowing that this could potentially be the end of many things. If all went well, the universe would be free from Aku's terrible clutches, Jack would've fulfilled the first part of his destiny, and Jack would have his portal home. If things took a turn for the worst, Aku would remain in power, both Jack and the Scotsman could potentially be killed, and even if they did escape Aku's wrath, Aku still had a shot at destroying Jack forever with that time portal, and if Jack was killed, then no one, not even the Scotsman, would be able to stop Aku, since Jack's magic sword was the only weapon capable of doing any major damage to the evil emperor, and, for the icing on the cake, the only people capable of wielding Jack's sword are those of his father's bloodline, which were all killed after Aku sent the samurai into the distant future on that fateful day.

These thoughts of "what if" lingered in their heads as the Pit of Hate grew closer and closer with every step they took. Great creatures made of stone crawled along the ledges around Jack and the Scotsman, eying them closely, but not making any efforts at an attack. Giant three-eyed, four-winged buzzards sat perched atop the statues of Aku glaring down on the two warriors. Finally, they reached the end of the valley and stood at the doors of Aku's Pit of Hate.

Two mechanical guards stood at the door. Both of them resembled knights and had large shields and long poles with large blades welded to the tips. The guards were huge, and seemed to ignore the two traveling warriors, but once they got a look at the puny swordsman standing next to the hulking Scotsman, the two pointed their weapons at Jack and his friend.

The guard on the right attacked first, and attempted to impale Jack with his weapon. Jack drew his katana and slashed the weapon in half. Jack then leaped high into the air, and came crashing down on his foe's shield with his mystic sword.

Meanwhile, the Scotsman was dodging the other guard's jabs. He leapt backwards, lifted his machine gun leg, and fired a barrage of bullets at the guard. Filled with bullet holes, the guard fell to the ground with a crash and exploded. The Scotsman looked over to his comrade; Jack was being pushed back by the guard's shield, but continued to hold his ground. The Scotsman pulled the massive shield from his back and threw it at the hulking robotic guard, hitting it in the head. Dazed, the guard stumbled backwards.

The Scotsman reached into the pouch hanging from his kilt, pulled out a handful of grenades, and lobbed them at the guard's feet, where they exploded, giving the guard little time to react. Bits and pieces of it flew high into the air.

Jack and the Scotsman looked at each other sternly, nodded, and ran through the entrance, but little did they realize how close they were to being too late…

Deep in the Pit, Aku, the shape-shifting Master of Darkness himself, was gazing into a portal floating in front of him. In it was an image of a young Samurai Jack, playing with a wooden katana.

"Yes, play with your toy, young samurai, for it will be the last blade you will ever wield!!" Aku roared. Suddenly, a black ninja in red clothing appeared in front of Aku.

"Master," he said, bowing. "I have bad news. The samurai you've been hunting for has breeched the Pit of Hate and is coming this way! He has a Scottish man helping him!"

Aku turned to a spot on his wall and another portal opened up, this time showing Samurai Jack and the Scotsman walking down a flight of black stairs.

"AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH!!" Aku hissed, the flames engulfing his eyes burning more intensely than before. "Capture him and his friend and bring them to me!!"

"Yes, sir!" And with that, the ninja vanished in a puff of black smoke.

Meanwhile, the samurai and Scotsman came to a pair of huge, black metal doors. Aku's image engraved on the door grinned evilly at the two unwelcome guests as they gawked at the massive door.

"Jack," the Scotsman said. "This is Aku's chamber, which means Aku is behind those doors." Jack nodded in agreement. "Before we go on, I want ye to have something." He pulled a stone with a strange symbol from his pouch. "Everyone in me family has a stone similar to this one. Jack, I want ye to have mine."

Jack was astonished at first, but he reluctantly took the stone and bowed low to his friend.

"Thank you, my friend," Jack said.

"When you return to your own time, show that stone to anyone who looks like one of the people in the photographs I showed ye a while back. Also, that stone will help ye remember me and your adventures in the future when you defeat Aku." Once again, the two stared at the door. "What's wrong, Jack?"

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Jack answered. Suddenly, his feelings proved to be correct when a beetle-like robot fell in front of them.

It stared at them with its blue eyes and bared its four front legs, each one armed with a sickle. Jack and the Scotsman drew their swords when they heard something behind them. They turned around, only to be met with thousands more. Mixed in with the mechanical insects were minions and bounty hunters. Behind them, the bug-bot thought it had the advantage and attempted to hack the warriors to pieces, but Jack quickly blocked the blows and hacked the robot to pieces.

Instantly the army attacked! Jack and his Scottish friend charged towards them, screaming. The Scotsman was attacked by a cowboy-like robot, but the machine was no match for the Scotsman's sword. Behind the front lines of the army, Jack was slicing through robots, ninjas, and aliens, defeating them with ease.

On the other side of the battle, the Scotsman was under fire by a bounty hunter with a jetpack and two laser pistols. The Scotsman returned fire with his machine gun leg, damaging the bounty hunter's jetpack. Before he could recover from the fall, the Scotsman decapitated him and continued spraying the rest of Aku's army with bullets.

The fight dragged on with Jack nearly buried in robot parts and the Scotsman running out of grenades and patience. Eventually, the two were driven in the center of the army, greatly fatigued and almost out of tricks. Suddenly the bounty hunters stopped firing and the robotic bugs stopped attacking. A lone minion stepped out of the crowd.

"Samurai Jack," he said. "You and your friend are surrounded and there's no hope for escape. If you end this now, we will spare your friend and you will be given at least a few more hours to live. If you do not, then we will kill you right here and now! Now, warriors, choose!!"

Jack and the Scotsman glanced at each other and then glanced back at the ninja-like minion of Aku. They smiled as both of their blades came crashing down on the ninja, giving him his answer. His body vanished in a black vapor, leaving nothing behind but his whip and red clothes. They then turned their attention to the remaining forces and charged at them. With their heightened morale, the warriors crushed the army with ease, despite their great number disadvantage. With the last of the robots, minions, and bounty hunters lying on the black bridge in pieces, the two warriors again focused their attention to the door.

"Hey, Jack." Jack looked over at his comrade. "That bad feeling ya had earlier, it hasn't gone away, has it?" Jack only stared ahead.

"No, it hasn't."

"Well, we won't get anywhere standin' around flapping our gums," the Scotsman said. "Let's go!'

The Scotsman pulled his fist back and swung at the door. The black metal doors swung open with a loud creek and hit the walls with a loud bang.

Jack ran into the room and screamed at the top of his lungs, "AKUUUUUUUUUUU!!"

A black form rose out from the bottom of the Pit and looked down upon the samurai and Scottish swordsman with his flaming eyes.

"Foolish Samurai," Aku said. "For a long time now, you have succeeded in defeating every foe I sent your way, but today is the day you will fail! BWA-HAHAHAHAHA!!"

Tired of hearing Aku speak, the Scotsman fired a barrage of bullets at Aku, but they all glanced harmlessly off Aku's black form. The Scotsman then tossed the last of his grenades at Aku, but without any luck; the explosions did nothing to harm the Shogun of Sorrow.

"Fool!! No weapon forged by Man can harm me!" Aku boasted. Aku then slammed his fist down and attempted to crush the Scotsman, but he quickly dodged the attack and slashed a small cut into Aku's arm. Aku recoiled in pain. "So, those runes inscribed into your sword can harm me. But they can do little damage, which means it will not be enough to defeat me!" Aku formed himself into a swirling mass of blackness and transformed into a giant gorilla. Aku tried to crush Jack, but Jack sliced the dark emperor into three pieces.

The pieces formed back together, and this time, Aku took the form of a great buzzard.

"No matter what form you take, Aku, you will never defeat the power of righteousness!" Aku ignored the samurai and dive-bombed him.

Jack and his comrade ducked. Aku slashed the Scotsman in the arms with his sharp talons, but only put a small cut in his arm. Aku then attempted another attack and missed again and only got his beak stuck in the ground. The Scotsman slashed Aku in the side, only making a small cut, but causing Aku great pain nonetheless. Jack then followed through with his katana, bisecting Aku. Aku then reformed into a great viper.

Aku struck at his enemies, but they scattered. Aku struck at Jack, only to be met with the blade that sealed him in that petrified tree thousands of years ago. It was fang against blade; Jack and Aku were both locked together. If Aku let up, Jack would slice through his skull and Aku would be finished. If Jack loosened his grip on the ground, Aku would knock him down, leaving him wide open for a fatal attack from Aku. The Scotsman slashed the tip of Aku's tail off, breaking the stalemate between the two bitter enemies. Jack was thrown backwards and his sword was knocked from his hand, landing on the edge of the platform. Jack tried to reclaim his weapon, but was stopped by a sharp pain in his shoulder.

Jack looked on his arm and saw Aku's fangs penetrating his skin. Aku picked the samurai up and tossed him across the room with his enormous maw. Aku then knocked Jack's sword off into the Pit.

"Oops!" He exclaimed. Outraged, the Scotsman thrust his sword into Aku's side as deep as it would go.

Aku screamed in agony and wrapped his coils around the Scotsman. On the other side of the room, Jack stood to his feet, dizzy from both the landing and the venom flowing through his bloodstream.

"So, Scotsman," Aku hissed, "you're helping this accursed Samurai? You know how you could help him more? By retrieving his sword! BWA-HAHAHAHAHAHA!!" Aku continued to laugh as he dropped the Scotsman off the edge and into the Pit of Hate. Jack looked on helplessly as his friend fell deep into the depths of Aku's darkness.

"Well, Samurai, it looks like in this battle, the cheese stands alone!" Suddenly, the sword in Aku's side started to glow a red color and Aku was forced to return to his original form. "The accursed runes on this sword are draining my power!!" Aku pulled it from his side and tossed it.

Jack suddenly fell to his knees; the venom was taking its toll on his muscles. Aku stood over him, also mortally wounded.

"So, Samurai, this is how it turns out. You have been poisoned by me and your friend has drained most of my power. However, I still have plenty left to dispose of you, Samurai Jack!" Jack tried to move, couldn't. Aku's eyes glowed a dark red and a red beam fired out of them at Jack.

But suddenly, a flash of light cancelled out the beam and Jack and Aku vanished and reappeared in a void of darkness.

"What's going on?" Aku asked. "Who dares interfere with Aku!?"

"SAMURAI!!" A booming voice said. "YOU HAVE FAILED YOUR QUEST!!" Jack was amazed to find that he was able to move. "HOWEVER, YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE TO DEFEAT AKU!! IF YOU FAIL THIS TIME, YOU WILL NOT BE GIVEN ANOTHER CHANCE. IS THAT CLEAR?"

"Uh, yes," Jack said, unsure of what was happening.

"ANOTHER SWORD HAS BEEN FORGED FOR YOU TO REPLACE THE ONE DESTROYED BY AKU." A katana identical to Jack's old one appeared in front of him.

"Eh, I guess I'm okay with this," Aku stated. "I defeated that foolish samurai before and I shall do it again!"

"YOU, AKU," the voice said. "YOU AND JACK WILL BE TRANSPORTED BACK TO THE DAY YOU SENT JACK INTO THE FUTURE AND BOTH OF YOU WILL BE IN THE SAME STATE AS THEN, ONLY YOU WILL KEEP THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE OLD FUTURE. AKU, YOU HOWEVER WILL STILL FEEL THE EFFECTS OF THE SCOTSMAN'S RUNES, AS I DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO HEAL YOU FROM THOSE."

"What!?" Aku yelled. He folded his arms and pouted. "This stinks! Now I'm gonna have to wait thousands of years for my powers to return!"

"NOW GO!!"

Instantly, Jack and Aku were transported back to the moment of their first confrontation. Aku was lying on the ground, a huge gash in his chest, and Jack stood over him. Aku felt the pain from his wound and the weakness from the Scotsman's runes.

"We've returned to the time we first fought," Jack said.

"I said this once, Samurai, and I'll say it again," Aku growled. "We will meet in combat again in the future, when my powers have returned." Before Jack could do anything, Aku used the last of his power to shoot circles from his mouth, circles that engulfed Jack and sent him forward in time yet again.

Jack, once again, found himself in that same time portal that sent him thousands of years into the future. This time, he would have to be on his guard. Who knows what could wait for him in this new future….

Next time- Aku Gets Schooled: In the present, three months before Jack arrives in the new future, Aku reawakens and decides to spend a day in Karakura Town to learn about the people of this time and plan building his new empire. Will he be able to blend in, or will the residents suspect something strange about this new student and try to stop his insidious plans?


	2. II

II: Aku Gets Schooled

**II: Aku Gets Schooled**

Three months before A-Day…..

Deep in the long-forgotten Pit of Hate, after thousands of years of rest and recovery, Aku begins to stir.

"Yes, my powers have returned fully," Aku says, clenching his fist. "Now I can reclaim my place as emperor of the universe! But first, let me take a look at this new future…."

Aku waves his hand over the wall and a window opens, showing a small modern-day city in Japan at nighttime.

"Hmm, it would seem that simply viewing this city from the Pit of Hate isn't sufficient enough to give me knowledge of this new future. Hmm….maybe I should experience this future first-hand! Minion!!"

One of Aku's ninja minions appears in front of him. "Yes, my master. Wish it, and I will give it to you!"

"I want you to take this registration form to this place!" Aku waves his hand over the window and an image of a school building appears in it. He then gives the ninja a signed school registration form. "Don't let yourself be seen, or you will be punished severely! And when you return, don't bother me, for I must prepare myself for my first day at Karakura Town's high school!"

The ninja vanishes in a puff of smoke and reappears in the high school's main office. The ninja places the paper on the principal's desk and vanishes.

Back in the Pit of Hate, Aku is deciding on which appearance he should use to infiltrate this new future. While Aku has been recovering his powers, he's gained the ability to transform into more forms, and has several different human forms he can turn into now.

"Let me think….no, too obvious!" Aku says. "Ah, this one's perfect!"

Aku shrinks himself and grows the normal arms and legs of a person. The flames engulfing his eyes fizzle out and his large horns become a mess, black hairdo. His face gains the features of an average Japanese sixteen year-old male. He now has a jet black suit and tie and a backpack in the shape of his true face.

"Excellent," Aku says, his voice remaining unchanged. "I will blend in well in this new future! MWA-HAHAHAHAHA-AACK!!" Aku suddenly begins coughing. "MINION!! GET ME A COUGH THROAT LOSENGE!! GAH!!"

The next day is an average Tuesday morning in Karakura Town. The morning is warm and clouds float across the blue sky, occasionally eclipsing the sun as they pass by.

Walking down a sidewalk close to the high school is an orange-haired fifteen year-old teenager wearing a grey school uniform and a much shorter raven-haired girl who appears the same age as the guy walking alongside her.

"I'm telling you, Ichigo," the short girl says. "There's fishy about the sudden decrease in hollow activity! I think we should really be on our guard!"

"That's the eighth time this week you've brought that up, Rukia," "Ichigo" answers. "You're spazzing out over nothing!"

"I AM NOT SPAZZING OUT!! As a shinigami, you should be quite concerned when anomalies like this happen! We should've investigated this days ago!!"

"Well, what was keeping you from investigating?" Ichigo asks. "You have all your powers back!"

"Well, uh, I happened to have a report to do, so I decided to do that until you decided to quit being a lazy bum! And don't say you aren't because I heard you up all night last night playing Guitar Hero III!!"

"Well, at least I wasn't being a spastic midget!"

"What? I AM NOT SPASTIC!!" Rukia objects. "And I'm not a midget! There just happens to be a lot of people taller than me."

Meanwhile, in the alley ahead of them, Aku in his new form appears from a burst of flame. He then silently steps out in front of Ichigo and Rukia.

"I'd like to hurt you, Ichigo," Rukia threatens, "but if I don't want to look as immature as you!"

"Who are you calling immature? At least I don't watch that retarded Chappy the Rabbit cartoon you're…"

Suddenly, Ichigo and Rukia notice this new person in front of them. The person, Aku, notices them as well. Ichigo stares at his face, not moving a muscle; Aku stares back, his eyelids lowered to cover half his eyeballs. Aku's mouth droops into a melancholy, yet sinister, frown and he walks away. Both Rukia and Ichigo stare after him as he silently walks into the school building.

"There was something not right about that kid," Ichigo says after a long silence.

"Yeah…"

"Well, come on, Spastic Midget! We don't want the teacher screaming at us for being late!" Ichigo takes off running towards the school.

"Hey! I am not spastic!" Rukia says, running after him. "YOU GET BACK HERE, ICHIGO!! YOU'RE GONNA REGRET SAYING THAT!!"

Later on, the late bell for first period rings and everyone, including Aku is sitting at their desks. For obvious reasons, Aku has chosen to sit at a desk in the very back, very dark, corner of the room. The teacher walks in the room.

"Good morning," he says. "Before I take roll, I'd like to introduce to you a new student. Mr. Aku, please stand at the front of the room."

"Bah," Aku answers.

"MR. AKU, GET YOUR BUTT UP HERE NOW!!"

Aku slowly stands to his feet and quietly walks in front of the chalkboard. He turns around and gives the class a face that says, "I'll kill you all".

"Introduce yourself to the class," the teacher demands.

"I'm Aku," Aku says.

"So, where are you from, Aku?" The teacher asks.

Aku squints his eyes and then shifts his attention from the students at their desks to the teacher.

"Well, Aku, we're waiting!" A student calls out.

"I'm from…..the Pit of Hate," Aku mumbles.

"What was that?" The teacher asks.

"I said I'm from, uh, Peru! Yeah!"

At first, the class stares at him, but a student calls out, "Hey, everybody! It's Ak_u _from Per_u_!!" Most of the class starts laughing. The teacher looks at Aku and grins.

"You're dying first," Aku says.

"Uh, Mr. Aku, we have a strict rule about making threats in this school, now go to the principal's office!! NOW!!"

"Yeah, Aku from Peru," a student teases. He then hits Aku with a paper wad and Aku slowly walks out the door.

"I think I'll invite him over today," a red-haired girl whispers to a black-haired girl.

"Are you crazy, Orihime!? He looks like one of those psychopathic killers from TV!!"

"I don't think he looks so bad," Orihime says. "I think he's just scared, moving to Japan from Peru. I'm gonna throw him a 'Welcome to Karakura Town' party today! I'll talk to him during the lunch break."

Later on in the day, after Aku had been pelted with paper wads and sent the office several more times, Aku decides to spend his lunch walking around town.

"The kids are aggressive and somewhat evil," Aku says. "They could make wonderful soldiers when I begin my re-conquest…." Suddenly, something catches Aku's eye; a large plasma TV in the local Radio Shack. "Hmm, perhaps I could use television to learn more about this new future…" Stands at the window and begins watching a show called _American Idol_. "Hey, this isn't half bad!"

After ten minutes of watching TV, Aku is startled by a voice from behind him.

"Hi, Aku!!"

"I'M NOT WATCHING AMERICAN IDOL!!" Aku yells, turning the TV off. "Uh, I mean, WHO DARES SNEAK UP ON THE GREAT AND POWERFUL AKU!? No wait, I meant to say, what the heck do you want!?" He looks down and sees Orihime standing in front of him.

"Hi, my name is Orihime Inoue, and I'd like to welcome you to Karakura Town! I also wanted to tell you that tonight I'm having a welcome party for you! So, do you want to come?"

Aku raises an eyebrow at the red-head, unsure of how to handle the situation, since this human caught the Master of Darkness off-guard. Finally, he came up with an answer.

"Okay, Orihime, here's how this is going to work; one, you're _not _having a party for me tonight, two, I'm _not _coming over to your house, and three, you're _not _going to talk to me for the rest of the day! Now, I must be going." Aku walks away.

"Oh, okay then…….. someone else must've invited him to a different party tonight," Orihime says. "I hope he has fun!"

Later on after school, Aku is walking down the sidewalk when Ichigo and Rukia leap in front of him from out of nowhere. This time, they're wearing black kimonos and are holding swords in their hands.

"Okay, we know you're not a human, so tell us who and what you are, or we'll slice you to pieces," Ichigo says.

"Foolish, shinigami," Aku answers. "I suggest you step aside before I'm forced to kill you!"

"You, kill me? What a sense of humor!"

"Ichigo, be careful! We don't know who or what he is yet!" Rukia says.

"Well, it would appear as if my days as a human are over," Aku says.

Suddenly, the area around his eyes catches fire and his skin turns all black. Slowly, Aku loses all of his human-like qualities and reverts back to his original form. Ichigo and Rukia stare up at him.

"This is my true form," Aku announces.

"Who are you and what have you done with Aku?" Ichigo asks.

"I have many names, shinigami," Aku answers. "I have been called the Master of Masters, the Emperor of Despair, and the Shogun of Sorrow, but you may call me by my real name, AKU!! And as for the form you've seen today, that was just one of my many forms that I can take!"

Meanwhile, all over Karakura Town, everyone is looking up at this new giant, black, horned creature that has just appeared.

"I don't care who you are!" Ichigo shouts. "Your business here is over!!" Ichigo charges at Aku with his large zanpakutō, but Aku turns into a bird and flies up into the air.

"Now is not our time to fight, Ichigo Kurosaki!" Aku explains.

"How do you know me? I haven't even spoken to you until just now!"

"I have been watching you, Ichigo. So far, you're considered a threat to my plans of conquering the universe, and even though I only consider you a minor threat, I will not make the same mistake I made those many eons ago! I will return to dispose of you and your friends later!" Aku laughs evilly as he flies into outer space.

"Rukia…..what the heck was that thing?"

"I'm….not sure…."

"Now, it's time to build my army," Aku says. "My minions are no match for those shinigami, so I'll just rebuild my old army from the older future, along with a few other surprises!"

Aku flies across the stars, looking for intelligent creatures to help him rebuild his army and reclaim the empire that was torn from him many years ago….

Next time- Three months after Aku reveals himself, Jack finally arrives in this new future. However, he's mistaken as a minion of Aku by a group of shinigami stationed to protect the remains of Karakura Town. Will Jack survive, or will his quest come to a brief end? It's Jack vs. the Soul Reapers, next time!


	3. III

III: Jack's Arrival: Jack vs

**III: Jack's Arrival: Jack vs. the Soul Reapers**

**Note: because I was too lazy to put this in the first chapter where it should be, I do not own Samurai Jack, Bleach, any of the characters on those shows, or any characters from other shows this fic crosses over with, just so you know.**

Jack suddenly finds himself falling through a suffocating, blood-red haze; he had finally emerged from the time portal. Jack's body aches from the journey and the smog in the air chokes his lungs. He looks down to see the trees planted on the ground below him grow closer and closer. He positions himself upright and as he falls through one of the trees, he lands on a, thick, sturdy tree branch. To keep the impact from hurting his legs, he immediately jumps the second his wooden geta (Japanese wooden shoe/flip-flop) hit the branch, and instead of landing on the ground, he rolls before his feet touch the battle-scarred dirt.

Once Jack stops rolling, he slowly stands to his feet; his body throbs with pain from his journey to this new future. Jack dusts off his white gi and looks around at what appears to be a former battlefield. Bits and pieces of the roach-like, scythe-armed drones Aku used in the previous future litter the ground. Carcasses from the machines lay stacked in huge mounds, their metal bodies riddled with cuts that appear to be from some sharp, metal object, presumably a sword. Jack suddenly realizes the warm, humid air and looks up to find the sun; nothing but red haze spread across the sky.

"It looks like Aku has already made his presence known in this future," Jack says, moving on.

As Jack walks on, a small, demolished city comes into view. The buildings are crumbling and everything is still. Beyond the city, he sees a factory rising above the dead, leafless forest surrounding the city. After briefly skimming over his surroundings for imminent danger, the samurai starts to walk towards the city.

As Jack walks down the city streets blackened with laser-fire and past buildings filled with holes large enough to walk through, Jack passes by a sign reading "Karakura Town High School" and behind it is the school. The windows are broken out, the walls are crumbling, and the word CLOSED is spray-painted across the front side of the building. Jack takes another look around.

"A bit overwhelming for just a town," Jack murmurs. "Aku must be working at a fast pace so he can reclaim his empire." The samurai moves on.

As Jack continues passing through the "town", he hears a noise. Jack looks up on the rooftops of the few standing structures to his left; nothing. He hears another noise, this time to his right. He looks up into the trees, but sees nothing or hears a sound.

Suddenly, three figures appear in front of him. All three are wearing black gi and have swords hanging at their hips, one of them already wielding his while the other two gripped the handles tightly, ready to attack. Oil, most likely from the drones in the woods, covers their faces. One of the warriors is a female, who's much shorter than the other two. She has black, short hair and equally black eyes. The second figure has long, red hair tied in a high ponytail and his face has strange tattoos on it. The final figure is as tall as the red-haired guy, and he has orange-colored spiky hair. His sword has a broad blade and is black with a silver edge.

Jack immediately recognizes the outfits of these three warriors from a painting his mother showed him when he was a boy. These are shinigami, or soul reapers. Only those rumored to be able to see spirits have ever claimed to lay eyes on these warriors. Jack stares at them in awe. The three shinigami glare back at him, their hands gripping the hilts of their swords tightly.

Jack politely bows low and says, "Hello. I am here to…"

"Oh, I'm afraid you won't be doing anything except bleed to death!" The orange-haired shinigami says. "We don't treat any of Aku's cronies as well as most others, in fact, every one of them he's sent to try and take this town have been killed!"

"What? You misunderstand; I am not one of Aku's minions of evil!"

"Yeah, we've heard it before," the red-haired shinigami says. "Listen stranger, in this day and time, you can't trust anyone." Jack stared at his aggressors for a while and then unsheathed his sword.

"If that is true, then I how do I know either of _you _are minions of Aku trying to trick me?" Jack asks, pointing the end of his sword at the shinigami. The three shinigami draw their blades as well.

"I've just about had enough of this guy's mouth!" The red-haired shinigami shouts. "Zabimaru!! Roar!!" Suddenly, his sword's blade grows wider and is now divided into segments, each one with a tooth-like protrusion at the end of each segment. The red-haired shinigami swings his sword at Jack and the segments detach, connected by a thick, stretchable thread.

Jack had never seen a weapon like this before, but it didn't faze him as much as it normally would, since the previous future had weapons more bizarre than this sword. Jack blocks the attack, knocking the segments to the ground, and then charges at the shinigami. The segments whip at him again, but Jack leaps into the air, easily avoiding the attack. Jack continues his charge.

"Renji, look out!" The female shinigami screams as Jack comes closer.

"Don't worry, Rukia. I got 'em!" Renji swings his whip-like sword at the samurai again. This time, Jack can't dodge or leap out of harm's way, so Jack digs his heels into the ground and blocks the attack with his katana. The attack pushes Jack backwards a few inches, but the samurai successfully blocks Renji's attack.

"_Impossible!" _Renji thinks. _"His ordinary sword shouldn't be able to block such an attack!!" _

Needing to recover from his own attacks, Renji is forced to call back his sword and prepare for another attack, but Jack isn't going to give him the chance. Before Renji can act, Jack appears right in front of him and swings his katana; Renji blocks the attack. However, instead of keeping a lock on Renji's zanpakuto, Jack assaults Renji with a flurry of slashes. Renji, caught off guard, has no choice but to stay defensive, since his attacks are more effective at longer ranges.

Seeing his attacks aren't doing much, Jack kicks Renji's feet out from under him, sending him to the ground. Jack then brings his katana down on Renji's shoulder with all his might, but his sword does no damage. Jack tries again, but nothing; Renji remains unaffected by Jack's blade.

"What's wrong?" Renji asks. "Did you spend so much time cleaning your blade and working on those fancy moves that you forgot to sharpen your sword?"

"My blade won't let me harm them!" Jack says out loud. "But I can fight without it…" Jack kicks Renji in the face, sending him flying backwards. Jack then looks at his katana, trying to figure out why it didn't harm the shinigami.

Seeing an opening, the orange-haired shinigami lunges at Jack, wielding his oversized zanpakuto. Jack barely sees the attack and leaps out of the way, but as he jumps, the shinigami slashes his arm, inflicting a deep gash on Jack's arm.

"Wait! We are on the same side!" Jack says. "My sword will not allow me to harm you!"

"Be careful, Ichigo," Rukia says. "I can detect a huge amount of spiritual pressure concentrated around his sword!"

"Yeah, I feel it," Ichigo says.

"I refuse to fight you," Jack says, putting his sword back in its sheath. "I refuse to fight anyone I am not allowed to harm." Jack sits on the ground.

"What do you mean you refuse to fight us?" Ichigo asks. "Fine, that just makes it easier to kill you!"

Ichigo charges at the samurai, but Jack quickly unsheathes his sword and blocks Ichigo's attack. Without warning, Jack kicks Ichigo in the chest, knocking him to the ground.

"I thought you said you wouldn't fight," Ichigo says scornfully, rubbing the spot where Jack kicked him in pain.

"If you mean to kill me, then I have no choice but to defend myself," Jack explains.

"Oh, yeah, DEFEND THIS!!" Ichigo brings his sword down on Jack as hard as he can, but Jack blocks.

The two warriors stare intensely at each other, their blades locked in combat. Just as Jack's guard begins to give out, he sees a symbol on Ichigo's uniform, and on Rukia's and Renji's as well. The symbol is a square with horizontal lines cutting each of its sides in half, the same symbol his father bore! Jack reaches into the sleeve of his gi and pulls out an old piece of cloth and unfolds it in front of Ichigo.

"See? I'm on your side!"

"Yeah, right! Which shinigami's lifeless corpse did you steal that from?" Ichigo says, glancing at the piece of cloth.

"I did not take it from any of your comrades, Soul Reaper!" Jack protests. "You must believe me!" Ichigo pulls his sword away from Jack's blade and takes the cloth. Renji stands to his feet and examines the cloth.

"Well, it doesn't look like it came from a shinigami's uniform," Renji says. Rukia then takes it from Ichigo.

"Hmm. The fabric this is made from seems to match the fabric from this warrior's gi," Rukia says, comparing the fabric of the cloth to Jack's clothing.

"Warrior," Ichigo says. "Who are you and where do you come from?"

Jack puts his katana away and kneels in front of Ichigo. "Forgive me of my rude behavior," he says, "for I am weary of my travels and have quested hard to end the evil of Aku without any success thus far."

"Yeah, yeah, just tell us where you're from already!" Ichigo says impatiently.

"Yeah, and what kind of a warrior are you?" Rukia adds.

"I am a samurai cursed to live in future times. Long ago, I was sent to the future by Aku and I failed to beat him there, so I have been given a second chance in your future."

"A samurai…" Rukia says in awe. "You must be thousands of years old!"

"I don't believe this crap!"

"Well, it does explain his unbelievable fighting style," Renji adds. "I've never seen anything like it, not even in Soul Society! What's your name, warrior?"

"The future in which I failed to defeat Aku has named me Jack."

"Samurai Jack, huh," Ichigo says. "I don't believe it. Jack is by no means a samurai name! He's lying to us!"

"I admit myself, it is an odd name, but it is what I am used to being called," the samurai says.

"Well….your story kinda explains how you just appeared from out of nowhere. With Aku, I guess anything is possible."

"I would be glad to tell my story if we could find a place to rest for a moment. The time travel has caused my body to ache."

"Sure. The survivors are staying under Urahara's shop. If Aku saw you as big of a threat as to send you forward in time, he'll probably send his drones to finish you."

"Survivors?" Jack asks. "What happened to your, uh, town?"

"About three months ago," Ichigo began, "Aku attacked us with his giant bugs and caught us completely off guard. Me and Rukia eventually took them out, but they did a good bit of damage, as you can see. After the attack, Soul Society put this place under martial law. The day after the attack, we woke up and discovered that factory you see just off the edge of town. We destroyed it, but every morning, we'd wake up to another factory."

"Yeah, and every afternoon it cranks out another army of bugs," Renji adds. "And no matter how many times we defeat the armies and destroy the factory, he just keeps building more to take its place, and his builders are quick."

"So, it's true. You three are shinigami?" Ichigo, Rukia, and Renji nod. "But, how can I see you?"

"We're not sure ourselves," Rukia answers. "Since Aku invaded Soul Society a while back, we've become visible to human eyes, making us easier for Aku to hunt down and destroy. Only a few of us are left… We aren't sure why we can be seen by you or anyone else, but we're sure it's linked to Aku in some way."

Jack finds himself walking with the three shinigami towards this, Urahara, they speak of. The whole way, Jack says nothing; he only gazes at the destruction caused by the shape-shifting demon and his evil army. Eventually, the four come to a partially destroyed shop.

"We should warn you, Jack," Rukia says. "Kisuke Urahara is kind of a weirdo."

"Believe me, I have met many people I've considered 'weird'," Jack says, remembering all the strange characters from the future.

The next thing Jack knows, he's directly underneath the shop in some sort of giant room made to look like a wasteland. Scattered around are various survivors, some with broken arms, severe burns, and cuts.

"Wow," the samurai says. A man wearing a green-striped hat and holding a cane approaches Jack.

"I see Aku's drones have been taken out," the man says, noticing the oil covering the faces of the three shinigami. "And I see you've brought a new face! Hello, sir." The man bows a low bow. "I'm Kisuke Urahara. Who are you?"

"They call me...Jack, Mr. Urahara," Jack answers, bowing an equally low bow.

"We found him after we took out Aku's drones," Renji explains. "He says he's a samurai sent here from the past by Aku."

"Hmm, Samurai Jack…..." Urahara says. "That has an unusually nice ring to it… Ururu, get Jack some tea, please." A young, black-haired girl standing behind Urahara runs off.

Jack bows again. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"You've been hurt."

"It is not serious. I'll be fine."

"Still," Urahara says, "you should probably have that wound healed. Yeah…that looks about like a wound Zangetsu would inflict. Go see Orihime. She'll fix you right up and Ururu will have your tea for you."

"Uh, thank you. Just one question, who is this Orihime?"

"Well, she has orange hair with floral hairclips in them," Rukia says. "She's right over there." Rukia points behind Jack.

"Thank you," Jack says, bowing again. Jack walks toward the 15 year-old teenage girl sitting on a rock only a few feet away from them.

"I still don't believe this guy," Ichigo says. "I say there's no way he's from the past _and _an alternate future."

"Well, how else would you explain that piece of cloth he had?" Renji says.

"And his fighting style," Rukia adds.

"Yeah, but still...I'm keeping an eye on him. If he so much as makes a wrong move at any of these people, I'll cut him into little, tiny pieces!! The people of Karakura  
Town have suffered enough!"

"There," Orihime says after healing Jack. "You should feel much better now!"

"Thank you. Now, can you tell me what happened to this place?"

"Well," Orihime begins, "there was this shadow guy with flaming eyeballs and antlers, and he sent his army of robots and they attacked Karakura Town, and I was kinda scared but not really 'cause it was really cool in a way and Kurosaki-kun said he wouldn't let them hurt anyone, and Kurosaki-kun fought them and defeated them, but the antler shadow guy was like, 'You may have beaten my army, but now you will not get a day of rest, for I will send more drones every day until your precious Karakura Town belongs to me! And then he disappeared. But I wasn't really scared of him because his facial expressions are funny and even though I looked scared, I was laughing at him inside my head!" Jack stared at Orihime and raised his eyebrow in confusion.

"Now that you've sort of heard our story, tell us your story, Jack," Urahara says, walking up behind Jack. All the survivors gather around to listen to this newcomer. Jack stares at the faces for a few seconds and begins his story.

"Like you, I too am a victim of Aku's evil. Long ago, I was the son of a wise and just emperor who defeated Aku and sealed him inside a tree. However, when I was just a boy, Aku somehow escaped and attacked my father's city. He captured my father, but my mother rescued me and my father's enchanted sword as Aku demolished my father's peaceful land. Then, I was separated from my mother and was sent all over Earth, where I studied and trained under the greatest scholars and warriors of my time and when I grew older, I sought out my mother and she gave me my father's mystical sword. I vowed to her to end Aku's tyranny and restore peace to my father's land, but before I could slay Aku, he tricked me and sent me into the future, where I tried to return to my own time and defeat Aku before he could send me into the future. But, I was killed by him and given a second chance and sent to this time. And so, I am cursed to roam in your time, searching for a way back to my own time so I can defeat Aku and keep his evil from ever destroying innocent lives again!"

The crowd gathered around Jack stared at him, their mouths agape.

"This is the sword of my father," Jack says, showing the crowd his katana. "It is forged from the righteousness of my father and its blade is completely unbreakable!"

"Wow, so you're an ancient samurai who has been to an alternate future?" Some kid with huge glasses and a pocket protector in his shirt pocket asks.

"That's so cool!" Some person shouts.

"How did you survive fighting Aku?"

"What was the future like?" Orihime asks.

"Well, they had flying chariots, beings from worlds beyond the stars, and creatures that looked alive, but were made of metal!" The crowd stared at Jack in amazement. "And when I fought Aku…" Jack begins to tell of his first fight with Aku, but little does he know he's being watched…

"Look at what he's doing," Ichigo says, spying on Jack. "He's trying to win them over so he can eventually dispose of them."

"And you call me a spazz," Rukia says, popping up from behind the orange-haired shinigami. "You should see yourself, hiding behind this rock, spying on some guy you found walking in the street! You're paranoid!"

"Well, I'd rather be paranoid than be both spastic _and _a midget!" Rukia glares at Ichigo.

"I told you I am NOT spastic!!" Rukia protests, stomping on Ichigo's toe. "And just because everyone happens to be taller than me doesn't give you the right to call me a midget!!"

"Ouch!! Okay, fine! You win!" Ichigo goes back to spying on Jack. "Spastic midget!" Rukia sticks her tongue out at Ichigo, blows a raspberry, and walks away. "Immature spastic midget," Ichigo mumbles.

Meanwhile, in the factory outside of Karakura Town, Aku is talking with some scientists.

"Is it finished?" Aku asks.

"Yes, sir," a scientist answers. He pushes a button on a huge keyboard and an image of a long-legged spider-like robot with metal boxes attached to its back appears on a computer monitor. "It has a special armor, making it immune to the zanpakuto of shinigami, and can carry a total of two-hundred sixty ballistic missiles, just enough to transform a city the size of, oh say, Karakura Town, into a huge, twelve-foot deep crater!"

"Excellent," Aku says with a grin. "I want to test it out on the closest city that's given me trouble, Karakura Town!!" Aku cackles evilly.

"Wow, I'm sorry to hear that about your Mom and Dad Jack," Orihime says. Ichigo walks up to the samurai.

"You may be able to fool most people with that fake sob-story of yours, but I don't buy it, Jack!"

"Ichigo Kurosaki, please, I speak the truth! You must believe me! I would never lie about such a thing!"

"Yeah, well we'll see about that later on! Urahara wants you to join Renji, Rukia, and me when we go on our mission tomorrow to destroy that factory outside of town."

"Okay…" Jack says. "I will help. No one deserves to be oppressed by Aku's evil!"

"Very well, Jack!" Ichigo says. "Prepare yourself for battle!" Jack hangs his sword at his side.

"And you better not sleep late, because we're leaving at sunrise tomorrow morning!"

Without saying anything, Jack leaves the crowd and gathers together a bunch of scrap metal and some tools. With these materials, the samurai begins making a crude suit of samurai-style armor.

"Aku, I may have failed in the other future, but this time, your evil will fall!" Jack vows as he bends a trash can lid into a shoulder piece for his armor.

Next time: The three Soul Reapers' march on Aku's droid factory grinds to a halt when they encounter a giant mechanical missile-launching bug that threatens to level what remains of Karakura Town! But, when all seems lost, Jack arrives on the battlefield with some tricks up his sleeve. Will Jack's aid be enough to exterminate the automated arachnid, or will Karakura Town and its residents be wiped off the face of the Earth before Jack's help does any signifigant damage to Aku's plans?


End file.
